The inevitable return of Mornington Crescent

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

As winter approaches and the nights draw in, one’s thoughts naturally turn to wholesome, homely entertainment. Instead, though, I invite experienced players and novices alike to join me in a game of Mornington Crescent.

To keep the pace gentle, I’ll begin with an inverse Lepton to

Seven Sisters

Controversy. It use t be that on a Sunday morning the DLR rules were modified to exclude those stations of a ..... foreign disposition.

Anyway, back to Victoria.

Fair point, 001. Let’s keep it simple and classic with a Montag Leap to

Fulham Broadway

Is it really ok to use open Elizabeth Line stations? I'm all for keeping the game relevant and up to date, but somehow it feels....not quite right. Maybe I'm more of a traditionalist than I realised.

However, it does open up some interesting strategies. I'm not confident enough to go all the way to Reading yet, so although it feels wrong, I'm going with:

Twyford

Depends whether or not you're playing Allingdale's Rightwise Convention. I do think we tend to be a bit lax about specifying these things up front on MN.

Reading? Oh dear. Absolutely not. We all saw in 1911 what happened when a Mister John Fotherington of Richmond tried to modernise the game.

So with that in mind I shall gently hop to Putney Bridge.

Anyway, Earls Court works with any version of Allingdale's, so I'm going with that.

(was supposed to be a response to Teyford, but fortunately - as so often with Earls Court - it works equally well as a response to Putney Bridge.)

Ding dong! <<twirls moustaches>> Onwards to

Holborn

I saw what you did there @ComeIntoTheGardenMaud. A classic subversion of Alllingdales, a near winning move in the 1940.
So in the same spirit
Kentish Town

Finally!!

I've never had the chance to play the Central Line sweep move made famous in 1976 and have been waiting for Holborn to be called for exactly this moment!!

Barkingside!!

(So hope no one's beat me to it!)

Oh bother. I got beaten again. The wait continues.

Kentish Town changes everything.

So back to standard play -

A disappointing Oval.

Goodge Street!

like taking candy from a baby

I'm arriving late and might have missed something. Is huffing permitted?

If so...

Parson's Green

I’ve always been ambivalent about huffing. Don’t you remember the terrible scenes at the Ritz in ‘97 when the Adjutant reheated the controversy by playing the Piccadilly line in bluff?

Hainault

Ah, I was living abroad in '97. Was playing Leopoldplatz then.

I'll wait for someone else to take a turn.

I'm stuck.

Helpful Uxbridge.

Oh, hold on, hold your horses ...

I can sneak in a Northern Cross Quadrilateral Pointer and make my way - slowly, admittedly - to Pimlico.

Ooh. Nicely played. I’m feeling adventurous, so

Notting Hill Gate

Hmmmm. That scuppers my plan somewhat. After much pondering I think I shall play the Three Line Interchange move and alight at South Kensington.

Ooh! V&A protocol...

Caledonian Road

(Not to be confused with the C&A protocol, which always takes you to Oxford Circus)

That last move seems to have stumped everyone. I’ll play it safe with a lateral slide to Walthamstow Central.

Morning!

I'm opening my account with an Overarching Eagle to Gospel Oak!

It’s thrilling that, in less than 24 hours, this game has attracted players or such skill, audacity and commitment. Reminds me of the heady days of 1974 and the last stages of the Copenhagen tournament. The costumes, the cocktails, the daring play.

Chalk Farm

Interesting move Maud. Sly. I see what you're doing there and I won't stand for it.

Moorgate